Lo Stella Ristorante, Offshoot of 160-Year-Old Original in Italy, Opens in Golden Triangle

Lo Stella Ristorante opened in 1850 in Portofino, Ital and now, over 160 years later, Denver is getting a taste of the famous restaurant that has been in the same family for eight generations. Lo Stella Ristorante opened today in the former home of Gallo di Nero in the Golden Triangle, serving housemade pasta and other Italian specialties that owner Alessandro Polo thinks will be unique in Denver's dining scene.

Polo says the menu will be a little different than at his family's Portofino original, since seafood is abundant in that coastal town. His Denver menu focuses more on local meats and some fish, like Colorado striped bass and trout. Other seafood will be sourced from Seattle, not Italy, as the shipping takes too much away from the freshness of the fish, he says.

Bread, pasta and pizza are all made in-house. Family specialties include pesto made in the style of Portofino and fish ravioli, which has been on the original restaurant's menu since 1940.

Here's a look inside Lo Stella, which is now open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and will host its grand opening on October 30.

Mark Antonation

Mark Antonation

Mark Antonation

Keep reading for more photos of Lo Stella Ristorante.

Mark Antonation

Mark Antonation

Mark Antonation

Mark Antonation

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Mark Antonation is the Westword Food & Drink Editor. He got his start by eating at and writing about every restaurant on Federal Boulevard and continues to cover the metro area's diverse international food scene, as well as the city's quickly changing restaurant landscape.